Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 and Windows 10

Most annoying thing in Windows 8's appearance, beside Metro and Charms Bar of Desktop, is transparent Taskbar. It does not fit the opaque window frames and looks ugly.I decide to fix it.Last night my friend Tihiy, the author of StartIsBack (http://www.startisback.com/) solution, has shared with me the way to disable tasbkar transparency via DWM API. So I have created Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8. Latest version is 2.7, see the change log below.With v2.5 I decide to provide x64 version, for those who have removed x86 .NET components in x64 OS.With help of this simple and lightweight application you will be able to make your taskbar Opaque in any time you want it. Also it can optionally run in the background or it can run once and then exit without taking memory. You can close it after you have disabled the transparency.Since version 2.0 the new command line option is available:

opaquetaskbar.exe /resident

It allows you to keep Taskbar opaque even if theme or Aero color was changed.In resident mode Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 will stay in memory and will show a tray icon with context menu. Use that menu or just double click on the tray icon to toggle the transparency. Also, "startup" checkbox will ask you if you want to keep the application in memory after startup.

Command line arguments

opaquetaskbar.exe /apply

Make the taskbar opaque and exit.

opaquetaskbar.exe /resident

Run in the tray icon mode as described above.

opaquetaskbar.exe /resident /notray

The Opaque Taskbar will run in the resident mode, but will not show even tray icon.

Change log

v2.7Stability fixes.Code optimizations.v2.6Added new command line option "/notray". It should be used with /resident as follows:

opaquetaskbar.exe /resident /notray

This will prevent Opaque Taskbar from creating the tray icon. Use Task manager to kill the app.v2.5The application was slightly improved. New features are following:

Taskbar will become opaque even you will restart Explorer (The resident mode of Opaque Taskbar is required).

Tray icon stays visible even you will restart Explorer (The resident mode of Opaque Taskbar is required).

Taskbar will become opaque even you will move it to the another side of screen (The resident mode of Opaque Taskbar is required).

Added the "Disable Updates Check" option according to users requests.

v2.0The new command line option: opaquetaskbar.exe /resident allows you to keep taskbar opaque even if theme or Aero color was changed.In resident mode Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 will stay in memory and will show a tray icon with context menu. Use that menu or just double click on the tray icon to toggle the transparency. Also, "startup" checkbox will ask you if you want to keep the application in memory after startup.

v1.1.0.1I have resolved dual display issues and improved the code.

v.1.1A minor bug with check box state is also fixed. Please update as soon as possible.

v1.0Initial release

Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 in action

Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 has special option to run at Windows startup. Please note that Windows 8 uses delayed start for desktop apps, so your Taskbar will become opaque with some delay. This is not a big price for portable lightweight software, isn't it?

Opaque Taskbar for Windows 8 is free, portable application and does not require to be installed. It is compatible with Windows 8 x86 and Windows 8 x64.This app has been superseded by Winaero Tweaker and is no longer being maintained. Use the following options from Winaero Tweaker:You can download Winaero Tweaker here: Download Winaero Tweaker.

Tim, no and noit does the following: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa969508%28v=vs.85%29.aspx (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa969508%28v=vs.85%29.aspx)

I like this software, but I would also REALLY like to make my taskbar pure glass without blur the way I could in Windows 7. Is that anything you might be working on in the future? I like it either opaque or transparent, nothing in between.

I will implement this optionBut... any reason to disable checking for updates?

doknir

14 Mar 13

No problem with me! But I installed your software on friend's new W8 laptop (his wish was to make it more like W7/XP) and now he is asking me what is going on ...In some cases this 'new update' dialog is not suitable. Maybe just a tray icon ...

Is it possible to make the taskbar and titlebar have different colors? I wanna give the taskbar a dark color and the titlebar a light color, because the taskbar has white text but the titlebar has black text. I want the texts to stand out.

I'm unable to download the application. Neither Firefox or Internet Explorer can get it. I only get an empty file.

Benke

12 Apr 13

It works now! Thanks!

melfisch

21 Jul 13

Thank goodness! That kind of effort is worth a donation, for sure.

Trigger

17 Aug 13

Bug report: the application still fails to make the taskbar transparent on dual monitor systems when you use Winkey+P to change the projection mode. Try setting it to PC Screen only and then back to Extend and you get an opaque taskbar on the first screen and a transparent taskbar on the second.Is there anyway to make the app recognize when display settings are changed or is another fix available?

Anon

23 Sep 13

Whenever I disable transparency, Windows Explorer no longer auto-updates when I move a file. I have to manually refresh to see files in their new locations.

photoslave

21 Oct 13

Does Opaque Taskbar still work ok with Windows 8.1? Thanks!

photoslave

22 Oct 13

I tried it with Windows 8.1. So far, it is working well.

Anonymous

23 Oct 13

I tried to install this and I keep getting the error message ''Failed to Install''.

Fantastic app - thanks! I found that the command-line option for OpaqueTaskbar.exe to disable transparency and exit is

/apply

.

Lewis

22 Dec 13

Hello !

I have a 64 Bit Version of Windows 8.1 Pro and have downloaded OpaqueTaskbarand it is great ! however i've had an issue with it.Something i have noticed is that what if i want this to disable transparency at startup and luckily there is an option for it however it doesn't work :(when i turned on my computer this morning and logged in it still had transparency. i have used x64 and x32 bit versions and same result. please help !

Hello, is there any way to improve that ? I am looking for a way to have the same transparency that in WIndows 7

Thanks.

Dexter

05 Jun 14

Please explain how to install/load wincty and/or opaquetaskbar.Does one have to create a registry key under Run that says "wincty.exe /resident" or what?

Dexter

08 Jun 14

So I added the following string to the Run key but there is still a delay in applying Taskbar opacity at startup?"OpaqueTaskbar"="\"C:\\Program Files\\Winaero\\OpaqueTaskbar\\Native app\\Wintcy.exe\" /resident"

Climax

09 Jun 14

Great !

ShattixX

19 Jun 14

Hey guys.

I have a problem after my PC was frozen..I click on the Wintcy.exe but nothing happens..

There is no process in the task manager.What can i do?

Hope you can help me.ShattixX

KaynEKH

27 Jun 14

Hi everyone!

I've a probleme with opaquetaskbar. When i disable transparency, it works fine. But just for a few seconds... After maybe 3 or 4 secs, transparency's back. I don't understand why it can't stay active...

An idea?

Thanks!

Guest

07 Jul 14

I can't get this to work in windows 8.1.

Anonymous

07 Oct 14

When I connect two monitors, the one side comes back to transparent.opaque feature only works on one monitor. I have to turn the program off and on again to make both sides opaque.

Shirou

18 Oct 14

Can you fix it? it doesn't work how it intends to anymore... when you manually disable the transparency, It works, BUT when you enable startup, it doesn't disable transparency at startup anymore, It doesn't even start at startup at all :/

Guest

12 Nov 14

The program works fine but being prompted to download an update on startup with no option to permanently hide the message is very annoying.

Anonymous

24 Nov 14

No matter what i do, it won't disable transparency on startup. Help?

Philippe

29 Nov 14

What about dual monitor support? It works when we run the executable "OpaqueTaskbar.exe," but not when we use the tray icon. I am using version 2.6.0.0.

lizzy

06 Dec 14

Works great, thank you. That transparent taskbar did not look good.

SanyaSan

29 Dec 14

Hi,

Very nice application, I have one annoying issue with it though! Whenever I run a full-screen game like Elite: Dangerous or similar, the taskbar for the monitor the game ran on will be transparent again! I'm using dual monitors so that may have something to do with it? I have it running with the resident option.

TheBunnyisEvil

21 Jan 15

Nice work indeed

SanyaSan

24 Jan 15

It seems like the taskbar is permanently opaque as of Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9926

That Person

04 Feb 15

Great job, It works perfectly (exactly as described), for anyone doubting it for security reasons (anti virus/ anti malware flagging it) it's safe, Thanks to the creator~

MatLasa

19 Feb 15

Hello! Is there any way or app to make the taskbar COMPLETELY transparent? Not the icons, of course, just the taskbar.Thank you so much!

mesh

22 Feb 15

doesn't seem to work for me on win10 tech preview 9926

eldrin

04 Mar 15

On my Windows 8.1 PC, if I put the PC to sleep and then resume it the next morning, the taskbar has gone back to being transparent, even though OpaqueTaskbar was left running in the tray.

MisterSquishy

11 Mar 15

Thanks for this!

FYI to all: the exe triggered Norton AV to quarantine it, based on crowd-sourced information (not known virus information), so I instructed Norton to exclude it from scans, after which it runs properly.